Existing laptop-style computers or communication terminals are convenient to carry if they are small, but such devices can become difficult to use when they are too small. Typically, one of these devices includes a screen part that folds down on a keyboard part, along a primary fold line. If the screen is too small, the screen becomes difficult to read and can be harmful to eyesight. This problem of size reduction without visual drawbacks is a major challenge for makers of portable computers or terminals. One recent contribution to this field is the pocket computer of Katz (U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,220), wherein both the keyboard and the display screen have fold lines. However, a device with multiple fold lines, such as the Katz invention, is more difficult and expensive to construct than a device having only one or two fold lines. So, the problem remains how to make a small laptop-type device with only one or two fold lines, without jeopardizing the user's eyesight.
It is well-known that portable computers or terminals can operate in a touch mode, for example using a finger or stylus to directly contact the screen, in which case the screen is responsive to touch. Such a device is described by Hawkins et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,935), and may operate in touch mode, or in a more conventional laptop mode requiring a keyboard. The combination of keyboard and touch mode presents some problems that are not solved by Hawkins. Especially when using the device in touch mode, it is often desirable for the device to be in a flat position, much like a conventional writing pad, and Hawkins describes such a configuration in which the screen lies on top of the keyboard in the pad mode—Hawkins' screen faces up instead of facing down as is usual with laptops in the folded position. Hawkins' computer in its folded position provides no protection for the screen, because the screen is facing up. Also, Hawkins' screen can be no bigger than the keyboard piece upon which the screen lies, and again this can make the screen difficult to read and look at, unless the keyboard piece is sufficiently large.
Some existing laptop devices have been designed in such a way that the laptop's keyboard can be detached. For example, Kornmayer (U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,773) features a detachable keyboard. This serves two purposes in Kornmayer: first, removal of the keyboard from the housing allows easy access to the housing for maintenance purposes; second, operation of the keyboard at a greater distance from the display may be advantageous from an ergonomic viewpoint. Similarly, Horiuchi (U.S. application Ser. No. 20020047832) discloses a detachable keyboard, so that a user having no special skills can remove or insert the keyboard. This feature may be useful, for example, when a keyboard having foreign characters is desired, or when a keyboard becomes damaged and needs to be replaced; e.g. a user may spill coffee on the keyboard and therefore order a replacement keyboard. A problem with these prior art detachable keyboards is that they do not offer the user additional functionality, tools, or resources using the area of the terminal that becomes exposed when the keyboard is removed. Katz, Hawkins, Kornmayer, and Horiuchi are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, in order to facilitate a fuller understanding and enablement of the present claimed invention.